


Sweet Medicine

by shotgunSinner



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: 1940s, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Band, Anal Sex, Blood and Injury, Bottom Gerard Way, Cigarettes, Crossdressing, Crossdressing Gerard Way, Eventual Smut, Gay Sex, Hospitals, Internalized Homophobia, Light Dom/sub, M/M, One Shot, Smut, Top Frank Iero, Underage Drinking, War, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:54:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26953945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shotgunSinner/pseuds/shotgunSinner
Summary: Frank is a soldier in World War II. Gerard is a nurse, but shouldn't be there. Neither expect anything to become of their precarious relationship.
Relationships: Frank Iero & Mikey Way, Frank Iero/Gerard Way, Gerard Way & Mikey Way
Comments: 13
Kudos: 64





	Sweet Medicine

“Stop moving, honey,” she sighed, the pitch of her voice lower than expected, “You’re only gonna make things worse.”

“I’m fine!” Frank protested through gritted teeth. He struggled to heave himself upward, trying to sit up, but the nurse placed a soft hand on his chest.

“Stop,” she repeated gently and he let his arms give out. “That’s better.”

The nurse bent over him as he laid flat on the gurney, flashing a small smile before another nurse rushed over to help her wheel him away.

God, her eyes were pretty. A sparkling hazel akin to his own. He wondered how they would crinkle when she laughed, wondered how her little upturned nose might scrunch up. He felt lucky to see her smile and decided that anyone who made that woman laugh must have felt truly blessed. If he died on that gurney, Frank certainly wouldn’t mind these being his last thoughts. 

He stared up at the charred ceiling, thinking about her face as he was taken down a hallway. 

They came to an abrupt halt and Frank was hauled over onto a hospital bed, though it more so resembled a cot.

“It doesn’t even hurt much,” he groaned as the beautiful nurse retrieved a roll of glaze and a large tin. The other nurse had hurried off to attend to other patients, leaving him in the hands of the only person on his mind.

“You’re still in shock,” she explained, cutting slits up the legs of his pants to remove them. The fabric was already riddled with slices and tears, which bore into his legs.

“I can still fight,” Frank continued, his words lacking any passion. He was willing himself to spring back into action, but his body was betraying his mind. Everything was fuzzy to the touch and his limbs refused to cooperate.

“You can’t even walk,” she answered simply, pausing her frantic actions to examine the myriad of cuts criss-crossing his legs. She had been informed by his comrades that he had been rescued from a mass of barbed wire. His pained writhing created wounds that were slit open even further when he was dragged out of the snare.

“I’ll be able to walk again, right?” Frank gasped, panic setting in, “I’m not a cripple, am I, sister?”

“No, don’t be silly,” she soothed, patting his chest as he tried to sit up again, “You’ll be just fine.”

He murmured to himself, trying to breathe deeply and stay calm. it was hard with the rumble of mortars erupting outside. They were far enough away to be in no immediate danger, but he was still worried. Even every gunshot fired seemed to grow closer. For a soldier, Frank definitely didn’t have nerves of steel. He was tough, yes, but was anyone tough enough for this?

The nurse dabbed around the gashes with a damp rag, cleaning away the caked on muck. Mud was plastered over the dried blood like another layer of skin. She bit her lip at the sight, fearing for infection.

Frank winced with every swipe of cloth. It was frayed around the edges and nearly falling apart. He exhaled harshly as she wrung the rag out in a small basin of water.

“Sister?” He rasped.

“Yes?” She hummed back, meeting his gaze.

“Can you talk to me while you do this? I don’t wanna suffer in silence.”

“Of course. Sorry..” She nodded with a sympathetic smile. “I got a little distracted. What’s your name, dear?”

“Frank,” he answered, choosing to stare up at the ceiling rather than her. She was a much more interesting sight, but watching her hands at work forced him to see his hideously shredded legs. “Frank Iero.”

“And where are you from, Frank?”

“Just some little town in Jersey. You wouldn’t know it.”

“Try me.”

“Belleville?”

She let out a little chirp of a laugh, but Frank looked down too late to catch it.

“I’m from there, myself.”

“Really?”

“Can’t you tell? I can definitely hear it in  _ your _ voice.”

“Yeah, you sound like home,” he murmured. She smiled at that and his cheeks glowed red upon noticing she had heard him. Frank cleared his throat. “So, uh, what’s your name, mi–” He was cut off by his own call of pain.

“S-sorry,” she apologized, pulling the rag away from a particularly raw cut, “I think I’ve done the best I can, anyway. This next part may sting a little, okay?”

“Alright,” he grumbled, tensing up to brace himself.

The nurse set aside the cloth, then popped open the tin and sprinkled a yellow powder over his legs. He twitched as it dissolved in the open wounds and definitive stinging set in.

“Fuck,” he hissed, hands balled up into tight fists.

“Sorry, honey.” She patted his arm reassuringly. “It’ll stop in a moment.”

“It fuckin’ better–”

After a few more painful seconds, the stinging died down and Frank was left with the dull burn of air meeting his slashed flesh.

“I’m sorry that that hurts so much,” she apologized again, tucking a lock of raven hair behind her ear, “We’re low on painkillers right now. I’m just gonna give you a little something now to knock you out, okay?”

“Be my guest,” Frank breathed with a lazy wave of his arm. He would gladly invite any form of relief, anything to whisk him away from the horrors of reality, if even for a short time.

She crossed the room to a cabinet and returned with a syringe and a small glass bottle. Wincing as she handled the syringe, the nurse filled it with the clear liquid and administered it to the boy. He didn’t even flinch, just shut his eyes and waited for the peace of sedation to wash over him.

~~~

When Frank finally awoke, it was late at night. He raised his hand to his face, but found his wristwatch unreadable in the dark. He wasn’t even sure what time it was when he was transported to the hospital.

The moon hung in the sky, tacked up amid countless stars. Light from outside shone through the windows, most of which were just holes. Only some still had a few shards of glass remaining. Since the makeshift hospital had taken up residence in an abandoned building, it was the best the nurses could expect. They were just lucky it hadn’t been completely demolished in whatever conflict left it deserted in the first place.

Frank saw his legs were wrapped up in gauze, definitely the nurse’s handiwork whilst he was unconscious. He almost would have liked to be awake for that just to see her kind eyes and patient determination to get the bandaging done just right, and without hurting him too much.

With the legs cut away, his uniform pants were now essentially just shorts. They looked ridiculous like that, but it was the easiest option. And, fortunately for him, since they were his own, his cigarettes were still in his pocket. He fished them out with a crafty smile, as though he had outsmarted someone in simply remembering he kept them there.

He struck a match and lit up a cigarette, blowing pensive plumes of smoke that dissipated in the still air. At that time, he felt like the only person alive, his breath the only wind on Earth.

He glanced around the large, open room. The ceilings were unusually high, begging the question of why they hadn’t caved in yet. Frank chose to attribute it to the Allies’ luck, but still snuck a worried glance at the rafters.

The building appeared to be some sort of community hall, perhaps a popular venue for concerts. Frank closed his eyes, trying to imagine the music they might have played, but it only made him more aware of the faint sounds around him. It was annoying to find closed eyes less conducive to sleep than ever before.

He had been willfully ignoring the rows of cots surrounding him. Only about half were occupied, as it had been a week or so since any major battle near the hospital. Frank sat up and gazed across the swath of bodies he was in line with. They all looked to be sleeping.

_ Lucky bastards _ , he thought with fleeting bitterness. It was of no fault of theirs that he couldn’t sleep, nor could he fault them for sleeping. Especially with the distant sounds of mortars and explosions so surprisingly quiet.

From his bed against the wall, Frank spied a figure on the ground, slumped against the adjacent wall. A small white cap sat in front of her, having slipped off her head. Her dark hair obscured her face, but the soldier was certain it was her. He just wished he knew her name.

Frank coughed and the nurse jolted, scrambling to her feet. 

“Oh!” She whispered loudly, straightening out her skirt, “You’re awake. What’s wrong?”

“How long will I be outta commission like this?” He asked, bringing the cigarette to his lips. The orange glow hardly illuminated his face, but glinted off his eyes.

“I stitched up your legs, but the wounds will still take a few weeks to heal.” She answered, brushing her hair out of her face as she strode over.

“But I’ll still be able to walk?”

“Natch.” She gave a toothy grin, letting go of formalities.

Frank grinned back, then let out a sigh of relief, smoke billowing out too.

The nurse sat down on the edge of the cot. “You need to get some sleep, Frank. It’ll be too difficult in the morning.”

“So should you,” he countered lightly, extinguishing the cigarette on the metal frame of the cot. He dropped it to the floor as the nurse glanced over to the other patients. He had been flicking the ash on the floor too, but suspected she had chosen to ignore that.

“Yeah, I’ll try…”

“I didn’t mean to wake you up,” he murmured a little bashfully. He hadn’t expected her to be sleeping so lightly, but if she was going to be awake, of course he wanted to see her again.

“It’s alright. Don’t worry about it. The other sisters are already sleeping, but I had to take care of some stuff first.” She stood up.

“Can I ask you one more thing before you go?”

“Sure. I already told you we’re too low on painkillers right now–”

“No, I’m not worried about that,” Frank snorted, shaking his head lightly. He looked up at her. “You just never told me your name.”

“Everyone calls me Gee,” she replied, heading back to where she was against the wall.

“What’s it stand for?”

“Nothing.” She bent over and picked up her fallen cap. Since her white dress was long enough to cover her knees, it didn’t ride up much when she bent down, but it did still make the outline of her ass quite apparent. She straightened up and placed the cap on her head. “G-E-E. Gee.” Flashing a coy smile over her shoulder, she left.

Frank slouched back down on the cot.  _ She did that on purpose. What kind of nurse would do that? _ He asked himself, still reeling from the unexpected promiscuity. He could have easily dismissed it as nothing special until she had purposefully turned back to give him that look.  _ She’s my kind of nurse,  _ he decided,  _ If she’s the one taking care of me, I won’t mind one bit. _

~~~

When the next day arrived, Frank was acutely aware of how much his body ached from the waist down. He had never been a totally still sleeper, but the bandages made moving far too awkward. Besides, even shifting his hips sent pain throbbing down his thighs. Stuck with that impairment, he instead just sat up and stretched out his arms, then glanced around the room. 

In the small town of Cherbourg, the community-hall-now-makeshift-hospital was one of the few buildings with electricity. Unfortunately, the damage to the town was too great for any lights to function, so oil lamps were being implemented.

“Ah, you’re awake,” Gee noted, dusting off her skirt in the doorway before walking over to his bedside.

“Yeah.”

“I’m glad you managed to fall back asleep.”

“That makes two of us. You get any sleep yourself?”

She shrugged and he frowned back.

“I’m a busy gal, ya know. But never mind that. I need to change your dressings.”

“Don’t let me hold ya up.”

Gee began gently unwrapping the other’s legs, dabbing away the fluid that was leaking out.

“You think you could bring me something to read? The days are gonna be very boring if all I can do is lay here.”

“Bibles are in no short supply, but it wouldn’t be the most exciting read. I can ask around, see if anyone has anything they’d be willing to share.”

“Perfect. Thanks, Gee,” he chirped with a smile.

“I can’t make any promises, though,” she clarified with a laugh.

“Still better than nothing.”

“Definitely,” she agreed, not looking up from her work. “So how’d you find yourself in barbed wire, Frank?”

“I slipped in mud and slid down into a ditch full of the shit– er, stuff. Sorry, sister.”

“You don't need to worry about swearing around me. I’m not actually a nun or anything. I don’t care.”

“It’s still rude to swear around a lady.”

“Right…” She trailed off, coiling up the soiled bandages to be thrown away. After sprinkling some sulfa powder across the wounds, she unwound a roll of bandages, presumably torn up from former bed sheets, and began rewrapping his legs.

“But yeah, it’s pretty pathetic I stormed the beaches of Normandy to liberate France only to wind up in a hospital ‘cause I  _ slipped _ .”

“You should just be thankful you’re alive,” she chuckled, pulling her hands away as it jostled them slightly, “Things could have turned out a lot worse than they did.”

“I guess… I just hate feeling useless like this!” He raised his hands in the air emphatically.

“You’ll be outta here in no time,” she announced, tucking in the end of the bandage. She paused, hands hovering over him and fingers flexing unsurely.

“W-what’s wrong?” He sat up straighter.

“Is… is that really what you wanna hear?” Gee peered you at home through dark lashes.

“Are you crazy? How could I not want out? Our fellow Americans are dying out there!” He pointed harshly out a window. “Meanwhile, I’m stuck in here with–” He clenched teeth, staring down to his feet. “With my damn useless legs. I gotta get outta here.”

She frowned, a deep crease forming in her brow. Sorrow was etched into her face, though she quickly tried to conceal it.

“You’re just one man,” she whispered with a small shake of her head. She blinked hard and met his gaze properly, her voice returning to normal. “How old are you, Frank?”

“Seventeen, why? My parents signed off on my enlistment so I wouldn’t miss the chance to serve my country. My dad fought in the Great War.”

“Why would he do that? The Great War was horrific!”

“He was drafted.”

“But why enlist you?”

Frank shrugged. “It’s my duty to serve and all that.”

“Aren’t you scared?”

“Wh–”

But Gee had already whipped around, another nurse calling her away from Frank. She mouthed an apology over her shoulder and scurried over to where she was next needed.

_ Scared? _ Frank repeated in his head,  _ What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Who isn’t scared? We’re at war, after all. _

~~~

That afternoon, Gee dropped off a novel she had gotten for Frank. The cover was battered and the spine thoroughly cracked, but the pages were intact, and that was all he needed. The nurse unfortunately couldn’t stick around for much more than a “thank you” from Frank, before rushing off to a patient.

The hours dragged on like wax dripping down a candle and never reaching the base. By the time the sun began to set, he had already read a sizable portion of the novel.

Frank tucked the book under his pillow, ensuring no one could snatch it from him. He had seen other patients stow their few valuables under their own pillows. From what he had observed, cigarettes were the most popular to hide, Frank himself included in the practice.

Though they were rationed freely, it was still only a lucky few who managed to have more than their allotted four. Still, any number was vigilantly guarded.

His fingers slipped back under his pillow to finger at his own pack, but decided against it. He was running low, and figured it best to save them for beating his inevitable daytime boredom.

Frank laid down and stared up at the moonlit ceiling. He missed the majesty of the open sky, but he was safer here, farther from the threat of overhead bombings. And, at the very least, he wouldn’t have to watch the shells drop, wouldn’t have to watch his own doom plummet toward him. 

Somehow, his mind was always wandering back to death. He supposed it was only natural given the circumstances. It was impossible he was the only person around with those grim musings.

With great effort, he tore his mind away to something more positive: Gee. 

Frank had spent more of the evening peering over his book at her than actually reading it. Occasionally, their eyes would meet and the nurse would smirk as he tried to quickly pretend he was reading. He wished he could bury himself in the pages instead of constantly bearing his blatant interest.

She was far from the buxom bimbos that so often drew his attention back home. For one, she was clearly bright enough to become a nurse, not to mention brave enough to enlist.

In France, he had nothing to his name. She made him miss the comforts of home that he had been forcing out of his memory. Like a long lost toy, in her messy hair and deep eyes he saw all the beauty and ugliness he craved. From chain-link fences to stray switchblades and city parks to oil fumes, Frank yearned for every drop of Jersey that Gee unconsciously sent his way.

Still, he knew his devotion was futile. She was likely just being kind for the sake of his recovery. She had a myriad of patients to attend to. He was just a tally on an ever-expanding list to her.

But even that couldn’t silence his thoughts.

Her sweetly bassy words echoed in his mind as he eventually fell asleep.

Frank was dumbfounded to open his eyes to see Gee hovering over him. She immediately stumbled back, clinging to the lip of a table to steady herself.

“Sorry!” She gasped, hanging her head as her cheeks burned bright pink, “I really didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“It’s the middle of the night…” Frank replied, “What's wrong?”

“I was just checking over your legs,” Gee stammered, shifting on her feet.

“Seems like you mixed up my head and my legs,” he scoffed, sitting up.

She fidgeted with her apron, shying away from his gaze.

“Oh, c’mon!” He sighed, “I’m not mad. What were you really up to?”

“Well,” she began softly, “I did indeed check out your legs, but then your insignia caught my eye… You’re in the same division as my brother.”

“Really? What’s his name?–I might know ‘im.”

“Mikey Way.”

“Brown hair and all tall and skinny, right? Got glasses?”

“Yeah, that’s him!” The nurse grinned back at him.

“He’s a good pal of mine, honestly.”

“He’s lucky to have someone like you watching out for him.”

“Yeah, God knows he needs it.”

“Why?” Her brow creased with worry. “Please tell me he’s okay!”

“He is. At least, he was before I ended up here. He’s a good guy, just seems real young, is all. Like, younger than me?”

The joy in Gee’s eyes dimmed as she studied the other’s face.

“What’d I say?” Frank quirked an eyebrow, confusion and concern bubbling up.

She shook her head. “It’s not your fault. I’m worried about him. He’s only fifteen,” she explained after the tense pause, clasping her hands together in front of herself, “He lied about his age to enlist… Knew I’d be drafted and wanted to fight by my side… He’s such a smart kid, I don’t know how he was so foolish…” Every word came out softer and softer.

“Why would you be drafted, though?” He asked gently, reaching out to take the nurse’s hands. “You’re a woman.”

Gee paled, at a loss for words. She simply stared down at where their hands met, only speaking when Frank eventually flushed with embarrassment and withdrew.

“I need to go try to get some sleep now. Sorry, Frank.”

~~~

Over the next week, Frank only saw Gee in passing glances. She never met his eyes and found another nurse to redress his wounds. It seemed he barely even heard her voice, though she still spoke to other patients. The hospital was a crushingly lonely place when his only companion would turn her back so quickly.

He found the only comfort he could in stale cigarettes and books passed down the row from his fellow bedridden comrades. Their pages were grimy and their covers blood-splattered, but he was thankful for anything to stave off boredom.

People were just passing ashes in the wind with the world in such turmoil. Dirty faces and bloodshot eyes were a common sight across the pockmarked battlefields. While Frank couldn’t sympathize with Axis Powers’ cause, he still felt a bittersweet pity for all fellow conscripts.

One day, a voice he never thought he would hear again rang out.

“Mikey?” Frank shouted back, a grin plastered across his face.

“Frank!” He repeated, returning the grin with one of his own. It was almost unnerving, seeing as how Mikey never wore his heart on his sleeve. At least it meant the kid wasn’t all shrugs and steely glares.

“Glad to see you’re alive!”

“‘Course I am, idiot. You know I can handle myself out there.”l

“So you say. I haven’t seen much proof.”

“I’m standing and breathing, seems like proof enough to me.”

“You’d be surprised,” Frank answered with a grimace.

“When did you become a philosopher?” The other boy scoffed, crossing his arms. He wasn’t actually angry, so it didn’t help his standoffish appearance.

“When were you gonna tell me you’re only fifteen?” He shot back with a scoff of his own.

“What’s it matter?”

“It’s like I’m fighting next to a baby!”

“Fuck off, Iero.” He hissed, scowling harshly.

“Big words from such a small boy!”

“How’d you even find out?”

“Your hot sister told me,” he answered with a smirk.

“My sister?” Mikey echoed, annoyance melting away into utter bewilderment. “I don’t have a sister.”

“You ain’t gotta lie to me, Mikes,” he chuckled, “I won’t try anything. I swear.”

“Frank, I don’t have a sister,” he insisted, leaning in to further emphasize his words.

“Liar. She’s right there.” Frank outstretched an arm, pointing to the nurse. While he was still fond of her, she had been avoiding him. Thus, he was surprised to see her looking right back at him when he pointed.

“Mikey?” She whispered with a slack expression, the words barely reaching the pair’s ears. “Mikey,” she repeated, mouth curling into a smile and eyes creasing with delight.

The nurse scrambled over and threw her arms around Mikey, hugging him tightly. She muttered a string of scatter prayers and thanks.

“Gee?” He asked blankly, his body completely rigid. Though, the shock quickly wore off and he returned the hug with some newfound eagerness.

“I’m so glad to see you!” She exclaimed, pulling back.

“Me too. How did you enlist as a nurse? Why didn’t you tell me? And why even as a nurse? This can’t be allowed, can it?”

Frank watched the pair with a cocked head.  _ For siblings _ , he noted,  _ they seem incredibly awkward together. _

“See!” The bedridden brunet finally piped up, “You can’t lie about having a sister when she’s standing right here in the flesh.”

But Mikey ignored him in favour of dealing with the more pressing matter: his brother, Gerard, was there. In France. With him. In a dress. As a nurse.

“Why are you here, Gee?”

“I had to watch over you.”

“But weren’t you supposed to be drafted?”

Gerard looked down at his feet, lowering his voice out of shame. “I’m a coward, Mikes. This was the best way I could think of.”

Mikey opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He turned to the broken window and gazed out solemnly.

“I tried to find you. I’ve asked every patient I’ve seen. If anything, I’m just relieved I never saw you being carried in on a stretcher.”

“You’re so stupid, Gee,” he sighed, “How are you the older one?”

A resigned smile flickered across Gerard’s face as he looked up, eyes meeting only the back of his brother’s head. “Why are you here now?”

“I volunteered to help get some supplies here. I hear this lot’s in some pretty dire need for morphine.”

“You’re too good for this, Mikes. You deserve so much better than this war. I only wanted to protect you.”

“I need to get going,” Mikey sighed. He looked back to Frank with a tired smile. “Good to see you, man.”

“Stay alive,” Frank hummed back, “For both of us.”

“Will do.” He nodded, beginning to walk away.

“Watch yourself out there” Gerard said to his back, “Please be careful.”

Mikey froze in his tracks, then his shoulders slumped. A worried look pained his face as he looked back over his shoulder to his brother. “Stay safe, Gee. Mom would be pissed for only a name to come home to her.”

“I’ll come home as long as you do, Mikes.”

“Mom can’t bear another Christmas alone.” There was a small smile on the younger boy’s lips, but no joy in his eyes nor tone as he strode away.

A few minutes passed before either of the remaining two spoke. The room was still far from silent with the bustle of nurses tending to patients. Cloth rustled and metal creaked, every voice tense and urgent.

“He’s such a strong kid sometimes that I almost forget the real him,” Gerard huffed, sitting on the cot with his back to Frank.

“He's lucky to have a sister like you.”

“Yeah…” the other hummed back faintly, “He is.”

~~~

In the week that followed, Gee no longer avoided Frank. The two spoke freely once more, albeit with some reluctance on the nurse’s part. Clearly, something about Frank troubled her and he had all the time in the world to ponder it. But, like the gentleman his parents begged him to be, he didn’t press the subject. Gee obviously had enough on her mind and didn’t need the added strain of Frank’s somewhat nosy curiosity.

Days continued to pass and Frank’s legs eventually healed. He wasn’t permanently crippled by the injuries, exactly as Gee had constantly reassured him. Instead, the gashes had healed over into vicious pink streaks across his legs.

Despite this unsightly reality, he still needed to practice walking to rehabilitate any atrophied muscles. The only time he had gotten up during his stay at the hospital was to piss. A nurse had always helped him hobble to and fro.

Gee, of course, was there to guide his laps of the giant room. She would take him by the arm and lead him up and down the rows of bed until he was panting and groaning with pain. It was terrible and necessary.

Soon enough, Frank could walk on his own once more, but the proud glances he shared with Gee were false on both sides. Their routine, even though it centered on the boy’s wounds was more real than anything else in the world.

The sky was falling down around them, crushing every Brit or Frenchman daring to poke their heads out. Though once impassioned with patriotism, it never lasted. Gerard and Frank could feel no honour or dignity in that world. All they had was one another’s hand to grasp onto for dear life. All they could do was wait and pray until they would inevitably part ways.

That day came so much sooner than expected, even after the weeks they spent in each other’s company.

“You’re leaving today,” Gerard informed him solemnly, the fact replaying in his mind over and over again.

“That’s good news, isn’t it?” Frank snorted, his one foot on the floor as he laced up the boot of his other foot.

“Yes,” she answered, forcing a tight smile as she clutched a piece of paper against her chest, “You’re finally being discharged.”

“Back to my quest for glory,” he chuckled, switching to the other foot to tie those laces up too.

“Yeah, you must be real anxious.”

“Real anxious,” he echoed in an equally dejected mutter.

“I’ll miss you, Frank,” she sighed, glancing over the paper before folding it up and tucking it in her pocket.

“I’ll miss you too, Gee. Best nurse a guy coulda asked for.”

“I’m glad you think so,” she chuckled quietly.

Frank stood up and stretched out his legs. “Sorry our time’s being cut short, but you know how it is.” He spoke with such levity that Gerard couldn’t help but smile. Frank just wanted to cheer him up. When life was hell, what wasn’t hopelessly bleak could have a glimmer of humour.

He really would miss Frank even if they would never know each other as well as they thought.

“I’ll see you out,” the nurse murmured, reaching out to the arm he offered in response.

They passed through the ever-busy room in silence. The only sound in the hallway was the brash echoes of heavy soles.

Outside was far from the beautiful sight two lovers might indulge themselves in. The cobblestone streets were marred with streaks of ash and mud.

_ But we aren’t lovers _ , Frank reminded himself,  _ and the world has always been an ugly place. _

The boy paused, eyes fixated on the dismal horizon before sling a rucksack over his shoulder. He pulled his arm from Gee to run his fingers over the buttons of his uniform. There was nothing left to stall for time. As he looked up from his jacket to Gee, he saw her staring back intently, almost as if on the verge of tears.

“Hey,” he breathed sweetly, “Don't be sad. There’s a million men just like me. If you cried for us all, you’d be completely dried up!”

“I wouldn’t cry for a million men,” he answered, fighting back the waver threatening to come through in his voice, “Just the one is enough.”

Frank blinked hard, quickly ducking away to obscure his face. A hot flush of emotion was rising across his cheeks and he couldn’t bear another second of the nurse’s fervent words.

“I’d pray for you,” she whispered after the pause, “but I don’t think God would hear me.”

“Why?” He asked, voice barely audible and hoarse with strain.

She shook her head.

“Why?” He repeated, impatient with her silence. He was still looking away, his teeth clenched.

“Do you think He hears faggots?”

“But you’re–” His eyes snapped up to meet the other’s.

“I’m what?” He huffed, “Tell me something I haven’t heard before.” His frown was hollow. It held no rage, only misery.

“You’re a man?” Frank realized with a flat voice, “A man.” His eyes flitted back to the horizon. Even the distant spray of dirt was a more appealing sight than facing the bitterness stinging his heart and tongue.

“I didn’t want to tell you. You didn’t need to know.”

“You could have lied just now. Why tell me?”

“You deserve better than lies.”

“Shut up.” The boy shook his head roughly, eyes scrunched up.

“I–”

“Shut up!” He repeated more loudly, effectively silencing Gerard, but still not his own thoughts.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Frank announced stiffly, heart pounding in his ears, “I have to go.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You should be.”

~~~

Frank spent the next few months finally back with his own battalion. Mostly familiar faces remained to greet him on his arrival, but the ones clearly missing only ailed his troubled mind even more. 

Though they were there during the initiation of Operation Overlord with the strike on the beaches of Normandy, the battalion was moved east to fortify Belgium. The equally war-torn landscape provided little change of scenery.

Though Mikey acted so unbothered, Frank knew he hated being brushed off. The older boy just couldn’t bear the constant reminder of Gee.

Gee, as he still only knew her–no,  _ him _ –by. The one person he could finally confide in while miles away from home was lying to his face. He was worse than just a fraud, though, he was a  _ coward _ . In essence, he deserted his position before ever even receiving it.

But that was only the tip of the iceberg for the troubled Frank.

Gee was a man. And yet, Frank couldn’t find his original feelings changing much in any way.

After only a few weeks, Mikey’s aloofness broke and he approached the other in the mess hall.

“Why are you avoiding me?” The brunet huffed, setting down his tray across from Frank.

“What’s it matter?”

“You’re so different since you got back,” Mikey elaborated, blunt as ever.

“I had a lot of time to think. Hell, that hurt more than the actual cuts.”

“Thought about what, Frank?”

“This war, the Great War, and every war to come,” he grumbled, hanging his head as he hoped to brush Mikey off again.

“That’s not all, though, is it?”

“What do  _ you _ care?” Frank snapped, gritting his teeth.

Mikey shrugged, pushing his glasses up his nose and gazing around the hall causally. “I don’t. I’m here for my family and my country, not some whiny lost puppy.”

“Then fuck off, would ya?” He growled quietly.

But Mikey didn’t answer. He stayed put, eating silently and then getting up and leaving.

The next day, Mikey sat opposite to Frank in the mess hall again.

“Hey, Frank,” he greeted calmly, only to be met with cold silence. 

When the boy finally looked up to him, Mikey spoke again. “This may sound far fetched, but hear me out.”

“‘Kay,” he mumbled back.

“Does this have anything to do with my brother? Gerard probably thinks too much for his own good.”

“Gerard,” Frank echoed, testing the name on his lip. Yes, that must have been what Gee stood for. It was the true name of the man haunting his every waking minute when he wasn’t preoccupied with staying alive.

“Ah, so it is him.”

“So what if it is?”

“I just wanna know what’s upset you so much. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was shoving his peace and mercy down your throat.”

Frank cringed at the expression.

“You’re fighting for your home–our home–too, right? Don’t let him get to you.”

“It’s not that,” Frank replied, shaking his head lightly, “not really.” His leaden eyes contained not a single speck of his usual mirth.

Mikey gestured for him to continue speaking.

“He had me completely fooled. I thought he was a woman!”

“Probably for the best. He doesn’t need the heap of trouble the truth would bring him.”

“He’s stupid for doing this, for–” Frank clenched this teeth, scowling down at the table, “for fucking with my head.”

“Your leave is soon, right? Go back to France, talk to him.”

“Why the hell would I want that?”

“Talk with your hands if you need to. He‘ll listen.”

“You want me to hurt your brother?”

“Someone’s gotta talk down sense into him. He’s gonna die if anyone finds out what he’s doing.”

“No.” Frank shook his head decisively. “I’m going back to France, but sure as hell not for him. I’ll go to Paris–it should be safe now that it's been back under Allied control for a few weeks–pick up some broad or maybe some easy dame, and just forget the whole thing.”

“Sounds nice,” Mikey chuckled with a smirk teasing the corner of his lips, “Don't forget to write.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Frank snorted back, “I may just be too preoccupied.”

They carried on chatting, mostly about women. It drew a smile from Frank and eased his mind somewhat. The prospect of forgetting it all in picturesque Paris was the single thing driving him onward.

~~~

Frank would have loved to see Paris in its former glory. The elegance of street lamps and cobblestones was lost on him after his time in Cherbourg. The streets of the two could scarcely be told apart too, as broken glass was sprinkled across the ground, constantly being swept away. The ash that decorated every surface clung and melted away any hopes of colour.

As often as the city was being cleaned up, no amount of scrubbing or sweeping seemed to stick. Paris had become such an ugly city, totally drained of its splendour.

But, although he missed his home in New Jersey immeasurably, Frank pushed through it all. He kept his head up, eyes on the horizon, pretending it wasn’t marred with a never-ending river of blood.

The dingier districts hardly suffered from the same gloom as the adjacent ones. People there still hollered at passersby, trying to drum up business from anyone foolish enough to have spare time on their hands.

Unlike America, French laws prohibited only absinthe. Alcohol was not the clandestine prize in France that it was seen as elsewhere. For that, Frank was grateful. Though, he would have bought a drink right in front of a policeman back home had it meant a moment’s reprieve from his all-consuming thoughts of Gerard.

As a woman, she was the delicate creature of every schoolboy’s dream. Her raven hair was always pulled back and pinned up, but not as tightly as the other nurses and strands were always coming loose. It was fascinating how she only seemed to bother fixing it around Frank. 

She used to smile at him, even in passing and even when he didn’t feel like smiling back. She cared so much more than any regular nurse.

But to know this angel was a man? It shattered his world.

He wasn’t gay. He knew that. He was certain. He had never doubted his heterosexuality for a second… until then.

It was fucking with his head. And it was all Gerard’s fault. Frank knew he had every right to be angry.

Some spineless pansy wanted to play him for a fool? No. No, he wouldn’t put up with that. If anything, he decided he was glad to get out of that place.

But still the question remained:  _ why _ did he do it? Just to get Frank eating out of his hand? And for what? To feed his own ego? It didn’t make sense.

Gerard’s meek apology rang in his ears. Frank hung his head, focusing on the cacophony the storm outside created, but it wasn’t enough to drown out his own mind.

~~~

“You got a girl back home?”

Frank shook his head. “Not really. Some cute brunette was making eyes at me for weeks before I shipped out, though.”

“Oh, yeah? You lucky bastard. You don’t deserve that,” the man jeered, shoving at the boy playfully.

“Jackass,” he hissed back, faking a scowl.

Two hours after that exchange, Frank saw the same man lying supine on the ground. His uniform was soaked in a slurry of mud and blood and his once shiny brass buttons were dulled with a layer of loose dirt. His eyes stared blankly up to heaven, his lips parted slightly in silent prayer. But how could God answer what He can’t hear?

~~~

“ _ Monsieur _ ,” a woman’s voice huffed, accompanied by an impatient stamp of her foot. “ _ Monsieur _ !” She repeated with more conviction.

“Fuck,” Frank grumbled, rubbing his temples as he straightened up. “Oh,” he murmured, meeting her cross expression, “Sorry, ma’am–er, madame.”

“ _ Monsieur, vous devez parter maintenant _ .”

“Uh… pardon?”

“Leave,” she repeated in strained English.

“Oi, lad, she wants you to pack it up. Bar’s closed.”

“How late is it?”

“More like how  _ early _ . Two in the morning, to be precise.”

Frank stood up, his hands planted on the table to steady himself. His legs were wobbling violently and his head was throbbing as harshly as the tinder outside.

He staggered upstairs to the room he had luckily remembered to rent before proceeding to get utterly wasted.

His first night in Paris had hardly set a good precedent for the ones to come.

The rain picked up into a deafening downpour. Combined with the ache of his entire body, it took Frank a while to fall back asleep.

He woke up insanely hungover, lying in bed for an hour and praying it would disappear. When that plan fell through, he finally crawled out of bed and changed out of his clothes from the previous night.

The boy’s room was modest–merely a bed and a dresser–but, as a soldier from overseas, he had few possessions to deal with anyway. 

He eventually trudged downstairs and nursed a mug of strong, black coffee.

The day was a pathetic attempt at normalcy. He decided to go outside since the rain had stopped. There was a hazy blanket of fog over the whole city, but it couldn’t hide him well enough. Every stranger on the street seemed to be staring at him. They all knew what a confused misfit he was.

That night, Frank was back in the safety of the bar. By then, the rain had picked up yet again and he wondered if the streets would flood as a result.

A beer in hand, he scanned the room as though it would bring him any sense of calm. Nothing but other men, mostly drunker than himself, lined the bar and crowded the tables. Several women darted around the room, serving drinks despite the obvious lack of a need for them. Frank was sure he was the only man in the room who could think straight.

The door banged shut behind a figure who had just stepped inside. Drenched from head to toe, Gerard unbuttoned his jacket and hung it up on a rack.

“ _ Peux-je une _ …uh, towel?” He asked, trying to be polite despite his terrible French accent.

A woman by the bar, whom Frank assumed was the same woman to shoo him away last night, nodded. She disappeared into the back room and returned with a towel.

“ _ Merci _ ,” he thanked her, graciously accepting the cloth and beginning to wring out his dark hair as he crossed the room. A few drunken catcalls rang out in his wake. They confused Frank until he realized he was so transfixed that he hadn’t noticed Gerad was in his usual nurse’s attire. However, the deluge outside had turned the white fabric nearly completely clear. The skirt clung to his thighs, making a soft rustling sound as he approached the bar.

“Fancy seeing you here,” he chuckled quietly, hopping up into the stool next to Frank. He continued to gaze straight ahead as he dried his hair.

“Leave me alone. I don’t need you around to fuck with me anymore.”

Gerard didn’t answer him, instead setting the towel down on the counter and ordering a drink.

“Not sure if the nurses are allowed to drink,” he hummed, taking a sip.

“I think you’ve got bigger things to worry about losing your job over,” Frank answered bitterly.

“I  _ am _ sorry. I hope you can see that.”

“I have no reason to believe that.”

“You met Mikey. He’s vouch for me. You know  _ he’s _ an honest guy.”

“I never wanted to see you again,” the boy continued, brushing past the idea of forgiveness.

“We’re not seeing each other now, are we?” Gerard replied.

Both in the pair had their eyes locked on the wall behind the bar, though neither would admit how their eyes flickered over toward the other. Their yearning peripheries betrayed them.

“I’m friends with the owner,” he explained, “They rent me a decent room for a decent price.”

“So?”

“I can make this whole mess up to you.”

“What are you suggesting?” Frank ventured, voice dropping significantly as he turned to look at the other.

Gerard smoothed his hair. It was finally down, free of any of the usual pins.

“Whatever you want,” he whispered back, leaning in, “I never meant to hurt you.”

“Tryin’ to turn me into a fairy? Is that seriously what this is?”

“I want to help you, Frankie!” He protested in a hushed voice, straightening up in his own seat, “I can tell you’re confused. I saw the way you looked at me when you found out the truth! You hated me, but there was more to it than just hatred.”

“Let me hate you in peace,” he retorted, taking a long swig of beer.

“I’m sorry for wasting your time again, Frank,” he replied flatly, finishing off his drink and setting down the glass firmly. “My room’s at the end of the hall. Don’t come if you’re drunk. You’ll only embarrass yourself more.”

Gerard strolled upstairs and to his room for the night. He never came back down and Frank didn’t even see him the next morning.

Right after his departure, however, Frank finished off his beer and went outside to clear his head. He stayed under an awning, taking in the fresh scent of the storm without getting soaked.

He went to bed that night feeling cold down to his core, but it wasn’t just the rain that chilled him. The sleep he did finally got was restless.

The next day was a dreary repeat of the previous. By the evening, he was back at the same stool in the bar. That was when Gerard finally reappeared to him.

This time, the man was wearing trousers. It was the first time Frank had seen him in something other than the nurse’s dress. He had to admit, albeit silently, that Gerard looked good in anything.

“ _ Bonsoir _ ,” Gerard murmured, producing a cigarette from the pack in his pocket and lighting it with a match from the bartender.

“You just gonna follow me? Hope I hit rock-bottom and go with you?” Frank sneered weakly, taking a sip of his beer.

Gerard shrugged. “I'm not expecting much anymore– from anything. But silly me for thinking you could be civil.”

They drank beside each other in silence for a few minutes.

“I’m kinda shocked you didn’t tell me off,” Gerard chuckled finally, breaking the lull.

“Me too,” the other muttered.

“Same offer goes as last night. Don’t bother if you’re drunk.” And Gerard got up and left for his room.

Frank spent a long time at the bar pondering the offer with only gin to keep him company.

He still couldn’t get Gerard out of his thoughts. The intermingling of images of him as both a man and a woman only tormented Frank more.

Finally, he downed a shot of whiskey and approached one of the women hanging around the room. They mostly skirted the edge, eyeing up potential clients.

Frank didn’t want anything fancy and certainly not anything permanent. Thus, a cheap whore would be the perfect thing to distract him. Maybe it would even help him fall asleep that night.

He picked out some obnoxious blonde, far from his usual type. He needed that disconnect from reality. Her proficiency in English was limited, but that didn’t matter to Frank, she didn’t need to say much; he just wanted her to scream.

And scream she did.

He woke up next to her, too hungover to remember her name. She tried to stay in bed with him just a little bit longer, but he promptly kicked her out. He hated being such an asshole, but he couldn’t stand another second of her voice.

The next day and subsequent evening were nearly identical to the others. The only exception was Gerard’s absence from the bar that night. Somehow, that made Frank not want to drink.

He was glad that his small tactic had worked. Maybe Gerard had finally stopped pursuing whatever it was he wanted from Frank after hearing the boy with someone else. After all, the brunet’s room was only a few doors down and the blonde was definitely lacking in the art of subtlety.

After going to bed early, his soul even heavier than after a night of drinking, Frank woke up to another uninspired day.

In the evening, Frank was drinking heavily to counteract the shame of using the blonde like that. He had no right to try to–what? Make Gerard  _ jealous _ ? The man didn't even show his face that night until much later.

“Have fun last night?” Gerard asked absently, sitting down beside him as per usual.

“How’d you know?” He replied, eyebrows shooting up with fake embarrassment. The pink flush his face was already coloured with added to the act.

“I think you’re pathetic,” the man continued, taking a drag from his cigarette, “I’d be ashamed to admit how much I think about you.”

“Likewise,” Frank scoffed.

“Tonight’s clearly no good. I’ll see ya around.”

A few minutes after Gerard disappeared up the stairs, Frank set his glass down with a decisive  _ clink _ and followed him. He was more than a little tipsy, but his nerves, more than anything else, made his legs tremble with every step.

He heard a heavy sigh from inside Gerard’s room. It made him freeze up and immediately begin worrying the man was crying. He wanted to go in and help, but his hand hesitated over the doorknob before he decided to knock instead.

There was a low creak as Gerard got up off the bed, followed by some rustling before he finally came to the door. 

“Frank?” The man asked blankly, clutching the doorframe.

“You’ve been waiting for me to come. Well? I’m finally here.” His words slurred together as he stepped inside, brushing past the other who pulled the door shut.

“You should go, Frankie,” Gerard sighed, “You’re clearly drunk.”

“What’s it matter? I don’t need my head on straight to know I need this.” He put his palms against the door, pinning the other there. “We both do.”

“I specifically said don’t come if you’re drunk. I know you don’t want this.”

“I do, though,” he argued lowly, his hot breath against the man’s neck, “You’re the gal of my dreams.”

“I’m a man,” he protested, hands up on Frank’s chest warningly. He cursed himself for not shoving him away.

He almost wanted it to happen, on account of how badly he wanted Frank. But he didn’t want it to happen like that. He wanted to be chosen for who he was, not as some drunken afterthought.

“C’mon, baby girl,” Frank insisted, hands sliding down the other’s waist and hips. He paused to grope his ass, eliciting an involuntary chirp from Gerard. He continued to hold his ass, keeping the other man’s hips flush with his own.

“Frank,” Gerard rasped. He cleared his throat, trying to firm up his conviction despite his body melting in the boy’s grasp. “If you can’t face the facts, then I don’t want this. I want you so much it hurts, but not like this.”

“You’re just some silly dame. You don’t know what you want,” Frank murmured against his collarbones, more so to himself. He was trying so hard to push forward when every time he felt how hard the other was he cringed.

“Get off me, Frank,” he commanded, pushing him back gently, “I’ll scream. I can still be a girl when I need to.”

“Fuck,” Frank hissed to himself, face completely red. He had gone and fucked up again. The shame tore the hole in his heart open even wider.

He leaned his forehead against the wall as Gerard scrambled away, watching him with concern. He wasn’t afraid of Frank or what he had tried to do. Not really.

“G‘night,” the brunet muttered leaving the room.

He returned to his own room and flopped down on the bed where he proceeded to sleep away most of the day while still in his clothes.

The next few days, the pair avoided each other. They sat on opposite ends of the bar, smoking and drinking in place of conversation. 

Frank spent those days deep in introspection. The booze muddled his thoughts, but the black coffee that always came the morning after seemed to clear them up again.

He was irrefutably drawn to Gerard. Every time he denied himself that, he suffered more. The hardest part, though, was admitting to himself that it was more than a friendly amount of desire. He was attracted to the man and it stung his tongue to say it finally say it aloud in the mirror one morning. His voice felt so foreign, but the truth was finally out, if only for him to hear.

~~~

One night, Frank followed Gerard as soon as he left the bar. He knocked first, but began opening the door slowly anyway. The other man scrambled over to the door, stopping it from opening more than a silver.

“H-Hey,” he greeted, breathing heavily.

“Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s great,” he answered with a small forced smile.

“I’m sorry,” Frank blurted out, his first words to Gerard since that dubious night. They came so much easier than either had expected. “I was lying. To you. To myself mostly.”

“Thank you, Frankie,” Gerard answered with a small smile from the doorway.

“I’ve got to get back to Belgium in a few days. I figured I’ll stay someplace farther north til then. It’ll make for an easier return.”

“Would you…” The man’s cheeks blossomed with splotches of red, his eyes trained on the other’s boots. “Would you spend the night with me.”

“You really want me to?” He asked softly, “After all this?”

Gerard nodded slowly then pulled the door open more, inviting him inside. Letting go of shame and reluctance, Frank stepped inside the threshold.

Something about that first step changes the entire stomp sphere around him. Suddenly, he was free from everything. Every bond that held him back–the war, his parents, even God–had vanished. He was a brand-new man standing before the man he loved.

Gerard, he immediately noticed, was wearing a pale blue pleated skirt and white stockings with the same simple white shirt he had had on earlier.

“Wh–”

“I had hoped you’d come,” he interrupted, looking at his pigeon-toed feet instead of Frank’s surprised face.

“Is it… for me?”

“You weren’t supposed to see…”

“You look… amazing. And not just your body. You’re beautiful, Gee.”

Gerard smiled coyly up at him, courage swelling inside him again. He surged forward, throwing his arms around the man as he kissed him against the door. Frank’s hands roamed his body, more tenderly and careful than before. He touched his ass, but stopped on his waist, pulling him tight against his chest.

With his hands wrapped around the brunet’s neck, Gerard had no trouble keeping his lips firmly against the other’s. Frank seemed obviously inexperienced, but the other didn’t care.

“Sorry,” Frank gasped, twisting his head to the side to break the kiss, “I’ve only really fooled around–with girls–a few times.”

“It’s fine,” Gerard murmured, mouthing kisses on his neck.

“Just tell me what you want, I guess.”

“Can you at least open your eyes first, Frankie?” He asked gently, planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Sorry,” he muttered, hesitantly meeting the other’s soft gaze.

“What do  _ you _ wanna do to  _ me _ ?” Gerard purred, his hand brushing up at the hem of the brunet’s shirt. “You can treat me like a girl, even though I’m not one.”

Frank helped him tug his shirt over his head as he spoke, letting it drop to the floor. It was easy to pretend Gerard was just a very flat-chested girl, but he knew he had to stop lying to himself.

“I’ll do whatever you want. All I’m asking for is one night before we have to go back to… fearing for our lives every single day. Living on the edge of a knife is hell.”

There was a silent moment where Gerard just pressed his cheek to the other’s chest. The closeness was comforting for both of them. Though, the thrum of Frank’s heart was far from calm.

“C’mon,” Gerard insisted, whining playfully, “I’m all yours… sir.” He added the last word tentatively but was pleased to feel the other’s hands tighten on his waist. 

Frank stepped away into the center of the room, leaving the other’s warm body behind. His callused hands fell down casually into his pockets. “Prove it. Show me.”

The man paused, trying not to look too dumbfounded as he bit his lip and gazed down at his empty, folded hands. After a few moments he stepped over to the walls beside the door. He bent over, supporting himself against the wall by his forearms.

The skirt, different from that of the dress of his nurse uniform, was not only pastel blue, but much shorter. It fell just above the knee when he stood, but came up much higher with him hinged at the hips. The position also revealed the red panties he had on underneath.

Totally unfamiliar with the situation he was in, Frank was surprised at his obedience, let alone willingness to play along. He managed to hide it from his face and only raised an amused eyebrow, even though Gerard couldn’t see his face.

“Wow,” Frank breathed, running his hands over the other’s ass and admiring every arch and curve of his form.

“As a nurse, a bunch of soldiers were hitting on me, but I’ve been waiting for you.” He shivered at the man’s cold hands on his pale flesh. “No one knows who I really am except you and Mikey,” he managed, trembling with anticipation.

“Good,” the other hummed. He took a deep breath, running his fingers along Gerard’s lower spine. “So… how should I do this?”

“I–” His face flushed completely crimson, “Like I said, I hoped you would come tonight, so I… prepped myself beforehand.”

“How’d you know I’d come tonight?”

“I didn’t… I sorta did it every night we spoke.”

“Cute,” Frank murmured, holding the other’s hips and grinding lightly against his ass. His hands ran up Gerard’s sides to his torso, palming at his chest and making him shudder.

“Before we do anything further… You got protection?”

“F-Frankie,” the other gasped with a pitchy giggle, “You don’t have to worry about that; I’m clean.”

“Alright, good.”

“C’mon, sir,” Gerard whined pushing back against the other, “I’m ready. Just give it to me– Please–”

Frank unbuckled his belt and removed his length from his pants. “You’re so eager,” he whispered huskily, “You must want it pretty badly.”

“I do,” he whined back, his forehead pressed against the wall as he steeled himself for the only thing on his mind.

Looking away, Frank pulled the panties down around the other’s thighs. He kept one hand on Gerard’s ass as he guided himself inside.

“F-fuck,” the world slipped out with a heavy breath past Gerard’s quivering lips. His eyelids slid shut as he held still and mumbled his gratitude.

“Speak up, baby boy,” the other man urged, rubbing his hip soothingly.

“T-thank you,” he repeated before hastily adding, “sir.”

Frank gave a few sharp but shallow thrusts, making the other mewl out pitifully.

“Your voice is so pretty,” he responded, stroking his tangled dark hair down the nape of his neck.

“Thank you,” Gerard panted back, tilting his head back appreciatively at the gentle touch.

He kept one arm braced against the wall to reach down to his own length, but Frank froze.

“Baby,” he said warningly.

“Please…?” Gerard murmured with unease tangling in his chest.

“Soon.”

“S-soon?”

“Yes, baby,” Frank promised softly.

The younger man slowly bottomed out, his fingers grasping the other’s hips tightly enough to leave crescent-shaped marks behind. “God, it’s been so long,” he groaned.

Feeling obligated, Gerard gave a half-hearted reply, albeit a disjointed one. His thoughts were spinning a bit too much to really catch what the other had said.

“Speak up,” Frank chuckled with a harsh thrust, making the other gasp, but he refused to speak again.

Running his nails down Gerard’s sides, Frank tried to draw more out of him. 

“Oh, c’mon,” he growled, “you wanna be my bitch, dontcha? I can tell.” He groped at the man’s chest as he snapped his hips forward. Gerard cried out and bit his lip. “You’re so sensitive. It’s pathetic.”

Pressed you against the wall, the taller man gave a feverish nod. “I can’t help it, sir,” he heaved.

“I never said I didn’t like it, baby.” His thrusts grew less deliberate as he clawed at Gerard’s chest and toyed with his nipples. He whined harshly in response, his hips grinding back desperately.

“You sound just like a girl,” Frank hummed, losing any coherent rhythm, “But you’re twice as good.”

Shrill moans spilled out of Gerard, his thighs trembling violently. The world was too dizzying to watch, so he kept his eyes tightly shut. He didn’t need to see anything to know he was completely melted in the warmth of Frank’s embrace.

“I bet you’d come without me even touching you,” Frank mused arrogantly.

“But–” The other mewled a protest that was swiftly cut off by the moan that strangled his words in his throat.

“I know how badly you need this.” His breath was like fire licking up Gerard’s spine, one of his calloused hands wrapped around the other’s cock. “Come for me, baby,” he panted.

Gerard gasped hoarsely as his rolled his own hips to meet the other’s erratic pace. His whole body shook as he came before being rendered completely limp.

Frank pulled out and shoved the other’s spent body back against the bed. He fell back listlessly, staring up at the ceiling in a contented daze. The younger man frantically worked himself over the edge, letting cum spill out across the other’s spread thighs and lower abdomen. He hastily pulled his panties up and skirt down over the mess before climbing on the bed beside him.

“C’mere,” Gerard groaned, arms outstretched to draw the other closer, “That was amazing.”

“I almost forgot you’re a dude,” Frank grumbled. Despite the unmistakable discomfort, no actual disgust tinged his words.

“I hope that’s a good thing, love.”

“I guess…”

“Well, you sure got into it quickly.”

“Kind of hard to say no when you haven’t so much as seen a tit in… six months? I’ll take what I can get.” His characteristic mirth was slowly returning as he wrapped his arms around Gerard’s damp body.

Gerard snorted happily. They both knew it was more than a starved desperation, but neither dared utter such a sentiment.

“You’ve done this before?” Frank prompted, glancing around the room calmly.

“Not since I shipped out. Maybe my prayers were answered?” He chuckled quietly.

“If God’s sending you dick, of course it’d be mine. But, come to think of it, that doesn’t seem much like Him.”

“Maybe it was some angel.”

“Or some  _ fallen _ angel,” Frank suggested, grinning impishly up at the ceiling.

“So you’re not heaven-sent?”

“Oh, I’m much better than that; I’m straight from hell, baby! And ol’ Lucifer is expecting me back soon. Shall I send him your regards?”

“No need.” Gerard shook his head slightly. “When you go to hell, I’m coming with.”

“That a promise?”

“You bet your ass it is.”

“I’ll hold you to it.”

“Good,” he hummed, turning back to the brunet with a dreamy smile.

For just a moment, Gerard almost almost couldn’t see the ash-blackened skies and flaming shrapnel. The horrors melted away and only his own face reflected back at him in Frank’s gleaming eyes.

“If I asked you to kiss me…” Gerard began softly, “would you mean it this time? Like, really mean it?”

“I mean everything I do,” Frank stated gravely, “I know I’m going to die and it… it terrifies me, Gee. I just can’t waste time with half-assed actions and half-baked feelings…”

“Then kiss me, Frankie.” Gerard propped himself up sideways on his elbow. “Kiss me like you’re going to die tomorrow. Please, I need it.”


End file.
